CONFESSIONS will be heard 15 minutes before each Mass ~ weekdays and weekends.

BAPTISM INFORMATION
Baptisms will take place on the fourth Sunday of the month at 12:00 noon. Parents wishing to have their child baptized are asked to contact the Parish Office, 514-769-9678, for details.
A meeting with Parents and Godparents is a pre-requisite.

Please note: Godparents must be baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Faith to be eligible to serve as sponsors.

Don’t Miss Out on the Pancakes
Tuesday March 8th at 5:30pm
Downstairs in the Church Foyer - Side Entrance. Featuring Father’s Famous Flap Jacks! In the spirit of Lent and alms giving, we ask for a non-perishable food donation. As well, we are looking for volunteers to help Fr. Stephen prepare and serve the food.

Lent: The Second half of the Liturgical Year
According to the church calendar, Lent, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost form the second part of the liturgical year. This season before Easter, occurs in the spring when new life appears after the death of winter. Lent is a more Penitential time than Advent (the season before Christmas), but both seasons prepare the faithful for a big feast. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and lasts for 40 days. Catholics are asked to do modest modifications and acts of penance during Lent for the purification of the body and soul. Lent is a time of confession, fasting, abstinence, more prayer, more Bible and spiritual reading, and more spiritual and corporal works of mercy. It culminates at Easter when Christ rose triumphantly from the dead.
(Catholicism for Dummies p.157)

Ash Wednesday
On Ash Wednesday and all Friday’s of Lent Catholics over the age of 14 are required to abstain from eating meat, and foods made with meat, as a form of penance for our spiritual benefit.
In addition, Catholics from the age of 18 to 60 are required to reduce the amount of food eaten daily in order to fast. The Church defines this as one meal a day or two smaller meals. This is linked to living out our baptismal promises, our responsibility of showing Christ’s love to the World especially to those in need.

Development & Peace
Next Sunday we begin The Share Lent Campaign of Development & Peace. This year’s theme is “Building a World of Justice”, a principle that has guided D&P since its inception in 1967. Throughout the coming weeks of Lent we will explore regions of the world where D&P works to make a difference.

Ash Wednesday Mass
Please join us at Mass on Wednesday March 9th at 7:30pm as the Ashes will be distributed. Please remember that this is also a day of fast and abstinence.

Lenten Services
Friday March 11th at 7:00pm
Everyone’s Way of the Cross

Friday March 18th at 7:00pm
Evening of Praise and Worship

Our Food Pantry
This week’s special request is –Spreads like, Jams, Peanut butter, Honey, Cheese Whiz, etc. Look to this spot each week as we will be suggesting a different item to bring in. Thanks to everyone for your ongoing support!!

World Day of Prayer for Women
World Day of Prayer was begun by women in Canada and the United States in 1922 and is observed in more than 170 countries today.
St. Willibrord hosted an ecumenical service last Friday March 4th which involved 5 different parishes. By participating in this year’s World Day of Prayer service we joined in worship with Christians around the world and in more than 2000 communities across Canada. A special thank you to Susan Charlebois for all her work and efforts in making this a success! As well as a thank you to our parishioners who took part as lectors and those who attended the service.
Social justice and activism still remain at the forefront of our church mission.

Income Tax Receipts
For the year 2010 were mailed out
this past week. If by next week you have not received anything please feel free to contact the office.